No Rest For the Weary
by Herehia
Summary: Aside from the still unresolved relationships with her exes, life has calmed down for Sookie. She's attempted to ignore them and forge ahead. But the imminent Were Revelation brings about unexpected events and she is forced to face the exes again.
1. Foster Mother

**_For many months now I've been watching them from across the fence and I just could not help myself. I had to sneak in when CH was not at home and play make believe with her characters. That reminds me, all characters (with the exception of a few) contained within are property of Charlaine Harris. I promise I will put them back where I found them when I'm done playing. Please don't call the authorities Ms. Harris, I couldn't help myself..._**

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His hand moved torturously slow up my left leg while his right hand deftly unbuttoned my blouse, exposing my flushed skin to gentle lips as they followed the path of his fingers. "Yes, yes," I breathed.

His lips so soft, so tender, close to my ear, "Do you like that?" He whispered tickling the sensitive hair receptors in my ear canal causing my whole body to shudder of its own volition.

Writhing under the ministrations of his skilled hands and lips I barely formed another 'yes'. Oh this is good. I didn't want him to stop.

"Are you ready?" he whispered again. If wars could be fought with lovemaking, he can conquer all with just a whisper.

"Ohhh, mmmm… ahhh," was my weak response as my head lolled back as if I had lost all function of my neck muscles.

Magically I noticed my clothes have disappeared, to where I don't know and I really don't care. I cared only about the hands which were now right where I wanted them to be. I felt his lips nibbling while his tongue traced a trail of liquid fire from my right clavicle down to the deep cleft of my chest. Oh I was ready. My body was ready for the onslaught which promised to follow. The anticipation was almost too much for me. I felt lightheaded, dizzy, almost to the point of fainting.

His strong hand cupped my face and then I felt fingers gently tip my chin upwards. His smooth voice resonate the command from somewhere deep within his chest, "Sookie." Oh I felt that vibrate throughout my body.

"Open your eyes and look at me." I could die right now and be the happiest woman on earth.

It was quite an effort to open my passion-laden eye lids but I tried to comply with the softly spoken command. My eyes fluttered open to look into his face as requested. His deep green eyes matched the strong hypnotic voice.

I gasped…

"Alcide? What the f…"

In shock, I quickly closed my eyes and shook my head in disbelief. My libido was instantly replaced by confusion and anger. I wanted to scream in frustration.

What in the world was Alcide doing in my bed? Why was he making oh so sweet lo… Whoa Girl! Hold the phone and apply the breaks for a sec! What am I thinking? Did I almost allow myself to wantonly make passionate love with Alcide? For a split second I tried to rationalize my feelings. Am I angry because I responded to Alcide? If I did what does that make me?

With my eyes still tightly shut I tried to cast around for the sheet to cover my nakedness. 'D'oh! '

I tried to exert some authority into my voice but failed miserably, "Alcide…", I rasped.

"What did you call me?" A deeper timbered voice caught my attention. That voice is unmistakable. Holy Crap Batman! I believe I hear… no… it can't be… My eyes flew open to look into two beautiful purple colored eyes.

"Oh my God, Quinn?" I squawked. This is getting way weird. I struggled to get out of my bed.

Bewilderment and concern registered on his handsome face, "Babe? What's wrong?" Quinn asked.

I had to look away because even though I couldn't see all of him I knew he was naked from head to toe and I have to say that I was not immune to the way his biceps rippled as he gracefully rolled to the side to allow me to sit up. But I couldn't move.

I tried my best to scoot out of bed but to no avail I was unsuccessful. It was as if my body refused to move. So I tried another tactic to remove my ex-boyfriend out of my bed. I determinedly turned my head to tell him what happened to tigers who wandered into my bedroom uninvited.

"Look Quinn. I don't know what you think you're doing but… Oh shit… Bill?" I shrieked. My body still would not cooperate as I stared at my other ex-boyfriend wondering if I'm stuck in a sick twist of Charles Dickens' version of Supe Boyfriends Past, Present and Future.

"No, no, no. This is not happening to me," as I desperately tried willing my numb body to move, but still failing to get it to work. I tried thrashing my head hoping my brain would send the message to the rest of my body that I wanted it to move.

Ever the Southern gentleman Bill's silken voice asked, "Sweetheart? What's wrong?" The unmistakable look of arousal was evident in those big beautiful sultry eyes boring right into my soul. I felt a twinge of shame, sadness and grief at the loss I felt whenever I thought of our history together.

I mentally pinched myself so I wouldn't fall victim to those eyes, those strong arms, those skilled hands… I have to stand my ground. Something is definitely not right. I turned my head to look away before those eyes drowned me in my emotions. Anyway, my head was the only thing working at the moment. Gah! What's wrong with me?

Am I having a panic attack? I don't usually give into hysterics or panic attacks. I may have some Southern Belle qualities like fainting but that is usually a result of an exceptionally stressful event like say, someone clobbering me over the head?

I am made of sturdier stuff. I'm a Stackhouse dammit! Shepherd of Judea, I have killed people and not even think twice of it. Well ok. My life was threatened. It was more like kill or be killed.

Now all I need is Eric and this cozy gathering will be complete.

"Lover"…

Yep. Spoke too soon didn't I? Oh well, resignation creeping in on my near hysteria, look at it on the bright side, I reasoned, Eric makes a complete set of ex-boyfriends unless you want to throw in the fairy my great grandfather gifted to me for Christmas. Maybe then I'll be able to rest easily.

I slowly turned my head to the door to see a pair of expensive red leather Pradas. My gaze followed two very long jean clad legs. Up, up, up to an unbuttoned red silk shirt still tucked into the waist secured by a belt with a rather large ornate buckle. I glimpsed a nice healthy sprinkling of exposed blonde hair above the buckle.

"Like what you see Lover?" What a beautiful sound, can one say that about a voice?

My gaze continued up till I located the mouth where the sound came from. And what a mouth it is. Beautiful sensuous lips, if one could say that about a man's lips, at this moment one side was curved into a leer that somehow on this mouth I did not mind studying up close.

My brain registered his name before my mouth could form his name, "Eric" I barely managed to get out of my suddenly dry mouth.

His eyes are twin blue fathomless sparkling pools. Mirth and passion lurks just beneath the surface of those startlingly azure eyes ready to burst through and overwhelm everything and everyone in its wake. I fixed my eyes on his face like a woman starved. I believe the kids call it nowadays a total eye-fuck. If anyone can pull that off, he was standing before me.

"Sookie! Sookie!" Amelia's voice came from far away.

Eric's face suddenly morphed into Amelia's face. Awww Man! I cursed into my pillow.

"Sookie wake up." I could feel a hand on my shoulder shaking me awake.

"Damnit Sookie! You need to take this call. Wake up girl." Amelia is nothing if not insistent.

"Amelia can't you just take a message?" I grumped.

"No Sookie! When the clock struck midnight the coach turned back into a pumpkin, the footmen turned back into mice and I turned from your secretary to just regular 'ol room mate", Amelia shot back.

"Ughh! Try 'regular witchy roommate'", I groaned into my pillow hoping Amelia didn't hear all the muffled sounds of my complaint.

The clock on my nightstand registered the time at just after twelve thirty in the morning. I had worked the earlier shift at Merlotte's and decided to turn in early for the night. I stayed up the night before to finish up my murder mystery so I can turn it into the library in the morning. I worked the night before that. To say I was sleep deprived was an understatement.

"You really need to take this." The tone in Amelia's voice was like a shot of adrenaline. Instantly awake, I sat up and took the cordless phone from her outstretched hand.

Before handing me the phone she narrowed her eyes at me and hissed, "I heard that Stackhouse."

"Hello?" I croaked

"Is this Sookie Stackhouse?" the slightly nasal voice of a woman asked.

Now fully alert, I answered, "Yes, speaking."

"My name is Vivienne LaBeau. I am Remy Savoy's neighbor." The woman continued.

Oh no! Something has happened. Remy was my Cousin Hadley's ex-husband. They had a son named Hunter whom I just met. My hands began to shake as I thought of my little nephew Hunter. I could feel tears fill my eyes as I tried to steady my breathing and brace myself for the worst possible news of Remy and Hunter. I have lost most of my family including my cousin Hadley. Even though I just met Remy and Hunter, the thought that I still had some family left gave me comfort. I instantly regret putting off my visit to see them when Remy called me about a month ago.

I focused on the voice on the phone, "Look. Something has happened to Remy. He's in jail and his son will be placed in a foster home if none of his kin comes forward to take him in."

A million questions immediately flashed across my mind, "what? What happened to Remy? Is he alright?"

Vivienne staunched my flow of questions by quickly saying, "Before the police took him away he made me promise to call you and insist on speaking to you in person about taking Hunter in as a temporary foster mom."

My head was spinning. What could have possibly caused the police to take Remy? I don't remember 'hearing' anything remotely sinister in him. He seemed like such a doting father. A doting father would not do anything to jeopardize his relationship with his son. My cousin Hadley left home so long ago and got into the drug scene. She met and married Remy but divorced soon after having their son Hunter. Hadley was turned into a vampire by her lover Sophie Vampire Queen of Louisiana. Tragically, Hadley was killed and I was only notified by her lover's probate lawyer about a month later. Remy had no idea who I was, until I showed up at their doorstep about a year ago.

"Hello? Miss Stackhouse? Are you still there?" Vivienne sounded a bit impatient and concerned maybe a bit of the latter.

"Er, umm, Yes. I'm still here." I mentally shook myself, "Where is Hunter now Mrs. LeBeau?"

"I was able to convince the CPS officers to allow me to look after Hunter until I can get a hold of you. After all, he is in familiar surroundings and my girls adore Hunter."

"Miss Stackhouse, would you mind very much if you pick Hunter up tonight? I know that it's very late but I can't miss work and my girls have to go to school in the morning."

I was appalled by my lack of foresight as to the underlying purpose of Vivienne LaBeau's late call. She could have waited until daylight to place the call (it seemed she attempted to make contact with me several times throughout the evening as evidenced by 6 messages on the answering machine).

"Oh my god I'm so sorry for the inconvenience Mrs. LaBeau", I replied awkwardly, "Of course, I'll be right over to pick him up. I know how to get there, so I just need to know which house is yours."

"Please call me Vivienne. And here is my address…"

Amelia was kind enough to offer to drive me to collect Hunter. I didn't care if half of the reason she offered was due to curiosity, I was just grateful to have someone to go with, someone who's had more sleep than I.

Vivienne LaBeau was waiting for us. As soon as Amelia pulled into her driveway the front door opened, as if she was on the lookout for our car. She reminded me of Annie Potts' character on Designing Women – Mary Jo. I gathered from her head that she was a single mother of three girls. She was worried about the latest string of strange happenings in the neighborhood and that included Remy being charged with child endangerment and neglect. She had no doubt in her mind that Remy was a good father to his son, but the last two women he's dated were worrisome to say the least.

I tried my best to be polite by asking only the necessary questions, first out of consideration for Vivienne and the late hour she's had to stay up to wait for us and secondly, out of consideration for my friend Amelia who is driving me around.

Under normal circumstances, Vivienne may have been a gracious hostess or even friendly. But something about her demeanor despite her tiredness and the early morning hour didn't settle right with me. I reasoned that because this was not a normal circumstance I could justify dropping my shields and listen in on Vivienne. So I gave her my automatic 'Sookie Smile' while trying to sort through her thoughts.

She gave me the phone numbers of the CPS officer and the Social Worker in charge of Hunter's case. Remy had entrusted Vivienne with a thick manila envelope full of necessary legal documents like Hunter's birth certificate, social security number and several others I didn't have a chance to peruse.

Hunter was asleep on the couch in the living room. His features have changed a little bit since the last time I saw him and his father. His features were still making that transition from cute chubby toddler to little boy. He was clutching a blue blanket to his cheek that appeared to have seen better days. I scooped him up but he stirred irritably and whimpered like he had cried himself to sleep. Awkwardly I adjusted my arms to secure him to me; this caused him to clutch his blanket a little tighter. He snuggled up to me and buried his head into my chest. As I watched him, a sharp twinge of longing shot through me at the sight of his curly head, his cherubic face and long blonde-tipped lashes. Instinctively I made cooing noises to comfort him. Where did that come from? It felt strange, yet familiar.

I sighed inwardly, as I wondered for the millionth time what type of mother I would make if and when I stopped dating vampires. It seems all is at a standstill as far as my questions of motherhood are concerned. Vampires cannot father or give birth to offspring. On the other hand I can't date human men because I get a preview of their thoughts whether they voice them or not. The potential mates who could provide me with said offspring seem to hit an invisible Sookie Stumbling block that keeps them at bay or sends them packing out of my life. I'm a supe magnet, not to mention where ever I am amongst the supernatural community, something strange or catastrophic always happens. I'm like that little old lady who writes murder mysteries. Where ever she goes someone is sure to die. My train of thought was beginning to depress me as I gaze longingly at the sleeping child in my arms. I mentally chided myself and started out the door.

Amelia was placing Hunter's suitcase in the trunk when Vivienne brought out another bag which held an assortment of stuffed animals. I gave her a quizzical look. She automatically listed all of Hunter's favorite toys he can't do without.

"Oh. I almost forgot!" Vivienne exclaimed, as she sprinted back into the house and came back with a ridiculously oversized stuffed yellow Bengal Tiger in her arms.

The sight of the plush toy caused something to stir within me. I can't for the life of me put a name to that feeling. My tired brain will have to rest for now and analyze later.

"It's a good thing I started to list his favorite toys. This shares the number one spot with the blanket. Only reason he didn't have it with him was because I had to give him a choice between the plush toy or his blanket when we went out to dinner tonight."

Approximately two and a half hours after Vivienne's surprising phone call, Amelia and I had secured my new charge, Hunter in his car seat and were making our way back to Bon Temps.

Almost immediately after pulling away from the LaBeau residence Amelia began to shoot expectant looks at me. When that didn't work, she started her mental campaign. Being the loud broadcaster she is I just couldn't avoid her, due to my fatigue.

I could hear her in my head saying, _'what gives Sookie? You can't get away with it. You read her mind, I recognized the Sookie Smile.'_

"All right Amelia", I groaned wearily, "I hear you. Just give me a few minutes to process this then I'll tell you what I heard."

After a couple more dramatic sighs and finger drumming on the steering wheel, Amelia has to get her way; I said quietly, "She's afraid of someone or something Amelia".

Amelia didn't dare interrupt me but patiently waited as she drove.

"She lied about having to work in the morning. She could've waited to call me after I woke up today but she didn't because she's afraid of having Hunter over at the house for too long."

"She loves Hunter but thinks there's something that's not right with him and all the strange little incidents in their neighborhood lately somehow revolves around Remy and Hunter."

Amelia stared ahead, thoughtfully, "what kind of strange happenings?"

I closed my tired eyes and repeated what I saw in Vivienne's head. It wasn't clear but there were flashes of Hunter playing in their fenced in yard with his toy trucks while his father and girlfriend where doing some gardening. Then the next thought I glimpsed in Vivienne's head was Hunter in the middle of the street chasing after a brightly colored ball and a black SUV with dark tinted windows speeding towards him. Then all went black. I think it was too much for Vivienne to watch a child get run over by a car that she must have fainted.

"So the kid was chasing after his ball and almost got hit by a motorist", reasoned Amelia.

I shook my head, "No. Vivienne knows for a fact that Hunter doesn't have a brightly colored ball and neither do any of her children."

I proceeded to explain to Amelia that Vivienne believed that Hunter was in some kind of danger. She babysits Hunter a lot. She knows the toys he has because whenever he gets a new toy she is one of the first people Hunter shows them to. That's why she was able to list and pack all the toys in that big shopping bag in the trunk. Remy didn't pack that, Vivienne did. She knows that ball was to lure him into the street.

I spied Amelia looking at Hunter through the rearview mirror, "Who would want to hurt such an innocent child Sookie?"

"I don't know but Vivienne suspects that it has something to do with Remy being in jail and Hunter being taken away by Child Protective Services."

I noticed that we had just crossed into the town limits of Bon Temps. I started to relax at the thought of my warm bed and maybe even getting back to finish my weird dream I was going through before Amelia rudely woke me up. My eyes fluttered closed for what seemed like seconds.

THUNK! THUNK!

My eyes immediately popped open at the loud sound. But couldn't see what made that awful sound and I couldn't see too far out in the dark road.

"Oh SHIT", yelled Amelia. Then I could feel my body pitch forward as the car swerved to the left then fishtail and skidded off the road directly into the path of a very large pine tree with my side of the car aiming right for its thick trunk.

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**_Ok people! Closing my eyes and wincing... Let 'er rip! I look forward to hearing from you. When all else fails, don't forget it's only f-i-c-t-i-o-n :-) No witches, telepaths, vampires, weres , shifters or fairies were harmed in the writing of this story... at least that I know of._**


	2. Mr Famous, Fairy & fashion faux pas

_**A/N: I forgot to put this in the beginning of the first chapter. I was a bit nervous that I get my very first story uploaded the way I wanted it that it totally slipped my mind. So here it goes. This particular FF contains some spoilers from DAG, other than that I'm writing this as if none of that unbelievable stuff ever happened. Bitter much Herehia? No. Just downright disappointed that's all. Not one to be ungrateful (just very disgruntled; and did I mention disappointed about DAG?) I still owe a lot to the esteemed Charlaine Harris for creating a world we can frolic in if only for a small time. Once again, all characters belong to Ms. Harris while all others are under my thrall and do my evil and sinister bidding. **_

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_I noticed that we had just crossed into the town limits of Bon Temps. I started to relax at the thought of my warm bed and maybe even getting back to finish my weird dream I was going through before Amelia rudely woke me up. My eyes fluttered closed for what seemed like seconds._

_THUNK! THUNK! _

_My eyes immediately popped open at the loud sound. But couldn't see what made that awful sound and I couldn't see too far out in the dark road._

"_Oh SHIT", yelled Amelia. Then I could feel my body pitch forward as the car swerved to the left then fishtail and skidded off the road right into a very large pine tree with my side of the car aiming right for its thick trunk._

**Chapter 2**

As the car careened towards the pine tree, I had a brief moment of clarity, "Am I wearing my matching thong and bra with the lace trim… Or the Granny Panties, as Tara would say, that I sometimes throw on seeing that I haven't had any midnight visitors in the last six months or so?"

Hey I said a brief moment of clarity, but it also doesn't have to pertain to the impending peril rushing towards me at alarming speed. There's no rule book for these things… is there?

I was snapped out of my reverie albeit unrelated to my situation, by a blurred movement, too fast to register. One minute I was to become part of the tree trunk, the next, the car violently spun around as if it ran or hit an object. My seatbelt locked as a result of the car's violent movement. I struggled to keep from fainting as it dawned on me that I wasn't alone in the car. The pain I felt from my seatbelt compounded with the air knocked out of me was a lot for my human body to handle but then I finally blacked out when my head connected with my window.

I may have only fainted for a minute or two because I was now aware of our surroundings. The car came to rest, I noted, in the middle of an empty field, strange. Stranger yet, I picked up brain patterns in the surrounding area. I could hear Amelia moaning somewhere to my left as I drifted in and out of consciousness. I had another brief moment of clarity, and this time it didn't involve my unmentionables though I was still a bit worried about it. I realized I haven't told Amelia that Hunter was telepathic. Panic settled in and the feeling of dread was enough to keep me from passing out again.

Weakly I called out, "Amelia. Can you hear me? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Sookie," Amelia's voice was much stronger than mine.

Relieved to hear she was ok. I exerted as much urgency in my voice as possible.

"Amelia. Don't ask questions. Do as I ask you right now. I promise I will tell you what I can if we get out of this alive. I need you to create a protective ward around Hunter and I also need you to put a sleeping spell on him to keep him from waking up until we can figure out what just happened. Please DO IT NOW", I emphasized the last three words slowly and as clearly as I could convey the importance of the wards.

Amelia immediately launched into a litany of phrases in Celtic, at least that was the language she told me some of the spells and wards were in. As she murmured in a low tone, I reached out with my mind to see if Hunter was ok. Thank God for car seats because he was still safely buckled in with his chubby hands still clutching his blanket to his cheek. He was fine. But as I guessed the commotion jostled him awake from his dream and his mind is just starting to wake.

"Please hurry Amelia," I pleaded.

I could read one brain pattern, vampire, fast approaching towards my side of the car. I read three more surrounding our car just out of view. Two of the three brain patterns are two-natured of some kind but the third I could not recognize. In less than a matter of thirty minutes I was bracing myself, yet again, for the worst. Welcome to my life.

I felt a presence at my window then, "Miss Sookie? Are you okay?"

Bubba!

For a brief moment the sight of my old friend gave me relief but then I remembered there were three unknown entities that could easily overwhelm one vampire, especially this one. Bubba is not like Eric who probably came out of his mother's womb with a sword in one hand and bow and arrow in the other. Ok. Where did that come from? Why am I thinking of Eric defending me? He's not even here. I haven't seen hide or hair of the Viking in months. Argh! Knock it off Sookie, I berated myself.

I noticed Amelia stopped chanting but it was not because she had finished. I quickly told her about the brain patterns I sensed and without any further prompting from me she proceeded to finish casting the spells over Hunter.

Bubba continued as if he was never interrupted, "Miss Sookie. Mr. Eric sent me to make sure you were ok. I got to your house in time to see you get in the car with Miss Amelia. So I hung out and waited for you." Well color me ungrateful. I had the grace to flush with embarrassment at Bubba's words.

I reached for my cell to make a phone call when, poof, Claudine appeared on Amelia's side of the car.

Claudine: angel-in-training, fairy godmother, fashion guru extraordinaire, guardian and my cousin.

I glanced nervously from her to Bubba, hoping my friend would not think unwisely and go after Claudine. Fairies have an intense effect on vampires. Vampires cannot resist fairy scent, especially their blood.

"Cousin," Claudine's cheery voice rang out in the clear morning air. "What have we gotten ourselves into this time? Who's the adorable kid in the backseat?"

Amelia had finished casting the wards by this time and was trying not to stare open mouthed at Claudine's outfit, as was I. You'd think I'd be used to her outfits by now.

Claudine looked like she was at a 70's Disco-themed party. She was wearing electric blue hot pants with matching sequined boob tube. She had blue glitter eye shadow that rivaled that of Mimi's on the Drew Carey show. Her thick long black hair was in ringlets. A bird of some sort with plumage in brilliant shades of reds stuck straight up from the side of her head giving her the appearance that she was taller. Not that she needed the extra inches. She is six feet tall if not taller. In her heels she was wearing I'd say she's at six foot six.

Thankfully, Bubba broke the awkward silence by saying in his best stage voice. "Why that's a mighty fine lookin' getup ya got thur Ma'am."

O-Kaaay! This couldn't get any more bizarre if you plopped a purple elephant in the middle of the field next to us.

Despite the fact that a vampire posed mortal danger to her, Claudine eagerly lapped up the compliment with much giggling and preening. I mentally shook my head wondering if for tonight Claudine and Claude switched bodies. Because this is not the Claudine I know. This fairy was acting more like her self-absorbed twin brother Claude. I guess all females, regardless of species, crave affirmation of their looks.

"Ahem!" I cleared by throat. That quickly brought Claudine back to the present.

Claudine had the sense to look abashed and addressed me, "Oh Sorry. Right then, as you were going to tell me Sookie?"

I hastily informed Claudine of the presence of three beings in the vicinity. I was concerned that they have not made themselves known, further confirming my suspicions that they were not friends but more like foe.

Claudine snapped back into the serious guardian role. Believe me that was kind of difficult given her ensemble and a bird nesting in her hair.

She started barking out orders. "Sookie you stay here. Don't move." Then pointing at Bubba, "You. Mr. Hunka, Hunka Burnin' Love, keep an eye on them. Don't let anyone or anything near them unless I say so."

Then with a toss of her mane; bird still intact, she merrily said, "Be back in a sec kids!" Poof!

Still staring at the spot Claudine occupied before she disappeared, Amelia wondered out loud in an incredulous tone, "Did the fairy just flirt with the vampire?"

Amelia turned her head to me for confirmation of what she had just witnessed. The second our eyes met we immediately exploded into a fit of laughter that quickly spiraled into out-of-control hysterical laughter. The combination of the stressful events, our near fatal accident had finally taken its toll.

Tears streamed down my red face as I desperately tried to hold on to my sore sternum while laughing and coughing at the same time. Poor Bubba was so confused and concerned with our antics he could only stare.

Meanwhile Amelia was adding fuel to the fire by holding up her hand to the side of her head; palm faced out with splayed fingers pointed up in the air mimicking the bird in Claudine's hair. I hurt all over and I was begging Amelia to stop.

"Child! What is the meaning of this?" Niall demanded. He appeared during our little crazy session and looked to me a bit perturbed.

More hysterical laughter ensued.

"Sookie?" Now I could hear Niall's serious tone. "What is going on? Why are you out in the middle of an empty field with the witch and a sleeping child in the backseat?"

I was trying to control my laughter so I can tell Niall about what had transpired but it only resulted in more laughter.

Finally, Claudine appeared next to Niall. Our laughter ceased at once when we saw the naked, bloodied body of a man lying prone at her feet. "Look what I found?" She said in a somber voice. The other two Sookie told me about were already gone."

He was a were I've never seen before. Apparently he died of his injuries, some of which could have been attributed to Amelia's car. But his fatal injuries were huge bites in this neck area which caused him to exsanguinate (word of the day last Tuesday) to death.

As soon as Claudine found the dead were, she called Niall. Both Claudine and Niall agreed this was no accident, hence Niall's perturbed demeanor when he materialized in the midst of gales of laughter when we should have been more vigilant out in the open, unprotected, despite the presence of Bubba the vampire.

Niall sent Bubba away as dawn was about two hours away. Claudine and Niall saw to it that we got home ok. Amelia's mustang fared better than we did. While Claudine tended to our injuries with enchanted fae herbs, Amelia told us that something very big with bright eyes ran across the road then felt like it purposely hit the car, hence the loud noise. Her fast reflexes kept us from rolling over but something else kept us from running into the pine tree.

Sensing that I didn't want to divulge anything about what we'd discussed with Hunter and Remy's situation, Amelia sat quietly while I explained my abridged version to Niall and Claudine. I hated omitting the more crucial part to Remy and Hunter's circumstances, but I felt that it was safer not to say anything at the time.

Niall was going to have Claudine investigate the dead were she found and report back the next night when we have had some rest. Claude was to check on us during the day. Oh joy! I can just see the look on his face when he's told he has to babysit cousin Sookie again. Before leaving Claudine beamed at me and said, "I have this, (indicating her outfit) in red and green." That was too much for Amelia and I to take. This time when we laughed the soreness was gone.

Before going to sleep, I asked Amelia to make sure that the sleeping spell she cast on Hunter stays until I woke up. I didn't trust anyone to be alone with Hunter especially when he will be waking up by himself in unfamiliar surroundings. It was a good thing I had three days off. Yes, I get to sleep in.

His lips, against my forehead, were soft. He feathered light kisses from one ear and leisurely crossed over my eyelids to the other ear.

His smooth voice reached deep into my slumber and gradually pulled me toward him like a puppet on a string. "Hey sleepy head. Wake up," he growled against my neck.

The hold of sleep and fatigue clung to my brain, but the tactile assault to all my senses was too great to resist. I have to respond. No wait, I can't wait to respond.

Despite my exhaustion, I struggled to wake up. My eyes flickered open….

**_Hmmm! I think I'll stop here. Is it another dream? Is it real? Who do you think our favorite telepath should wake up to. Whada ya think? Uh. Uh. Uh. Before you start typing away like the obsessed little FF fan you are, be careful who you choose though. 'Cause it may not be the reaction you're hoping for. Choose wisely Grasshopper. _**

**_**Backing away slowly** Now I'm going to get into my bullet proof vehicle and drive away. Don't forget if you want to hit something? Hit the review button. Great target practice. He-he-he!_**


	3. You can't say that

Even in my deepest sleep, I cannot deny the powerful draw of an exceptional kiss. What a way to be roused from slumber.

I attempted to open my eyes in response to the exquisite torture of those lips, but I guess my eyes have not received the message from my brain yet. My eyes fluttered open for a fraction of a second, but then closed again. The kisses and the caresses still continued their delicious torment on my receptive skin. I moaned appreciatively when I felt his tongue lightly trace a line over bounding my carotid pulse, ever so slowly, up to my right ear and then follow my jaw line to my lips.

I sighed. He answered by lightly running his tongue over my lower lip until I moaned again which gained him entrance into my mouth.

"_Daddy…?" _A small voice niggled in the back of my lethargic brain.

Whaaa…? Who said that?

I tried to focus on the body hovering atop of mine and the now insistent kiss almost robbing me of breath.

"…_Daddeeeee? Where are you?" _The whimpered plea echoed in my head.

O my stars, as realization of the past night all came back. The sleeping spell… Hunter!

I bolted upright in bed and in doing so my face connected with something hard. I screamed as my head recoiled from the collision, while at the same time I heard a stream of profanity right above me. Now I'm fully awakened and in much pain. I opened my left eye while I clutched the right side of my face to see what I collided with.

"Eric? What the hell?" I screeched while trying not to cry from the pain in my face.

It was obvious we have slept throughout the whole day because Mr. Horny-as-hell Viking was diving for my tonsils. I'm not complaining, mind you, but his timing leaves a lot to be desired.

"Daddy?" Now I could hear Hunter as he called out for his father.

The look on Eric's face was priceless. His look ranged from rapidly cooling ardor, to concern, to confusion. He inclined his head to the sound of Hunter's voice as he called out for his father again.

The pain in my face was momentarily forgotten, I pushed Eric off me, as much as I can move a vampire his size, and raced to the bedroom across the hall. Octavia had moved back in with her friend/lover. That worked out well since that's where I've put Hunter for the time being.

Hunter held his blanket in one hand and with the other he hugged his plush tiger by the neck as it was almost as big and as tall as his little four year old body. He was standing in his Sponge Bob pajamas, his blonde locks ruffled from sleep, his big green eyes woefully seeking out his father as he tried to take in the unfamiliar surroundings of the bedroom. The sight of him with tears threatening to fall tugged at my heart. I didn't want to hug him until I was sure he could remember me. I bent down so he could see my face better.

Slowly, I reached a hand towards him, "Hi Hunter." I said in a soft voice. "Do you remember me? I'm your Aunt Sookie. I came out to see you a little while ago?

His big green eyes surveyed me timidly then I softly whispered to his mind, _"Sweetie? Do you remember us talking like this?" _

His eyes got a little bigger as he remembered. He slowly nodded his head. I assured him there was nothing to be afraid of and that he would get to see his father in a couple of days.

"_Hunter. Do you want to play a little game I used to play with my Gran?" _

He nodded his head.

"_First rule; you absolutely cannot tell anyone that we can talk like this. Second rule; we cannot let other people know that you can hear and see what they're thinking unless your daddy or I say it's ok. Do you understand?" _

He nodded his head again.

"_If something worries you or scares you, you can talk to me this way."_

More nodding.

"_You're doing very well Hunter." _I soothed him mentally._ "Your daddy will be so proud of you." _

I bent down further to kiss his head and give him a hug and as I did, I got a very clear visual, of what Hunter was seeing over my shoulder. He could see Eric standing in the doorway, fangs out and staring lustfully at my butt.

Then I heard Eric's voice in my head as clear as if he was speaking,

"…_great view Lover! I've missed that a..." _

Concurrently, I heard another male voice,

"…_good thing that Viking is already dead or he'd die of an aneurysm to that already stiff hard…"_

I gasped and quickly straightened up! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh Shit!

I quickly tried to cover up my panic at what I just discovered. I became conscious of the fact that I was wearing just a pink t-shirt that barely covered my backside and I wasn't wearing a bra to boot. Having bent over to talk to Hunter I was oblivious to the free show I was offering a very horny Viking.

Mustering as much of my dignity as possible I pulled down my shirt and held on to Hunter's hand as we turned to introduce him to Eric. I hoped that my reaction was attributed to my skimpy sleep attire and that Eric didn't notice what had transpired between Hunter and me.

The thoughts running in that Viking's head was akin to something featured in the Kama Sutra. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the author of 'thee' original thing. My face was aflame as I struggled to keep from reacting to the vivid running commentary in Eric's head and that of Amelia's from the kitchen.

Amelia looked like she was going to burst at the seams. I quickly pulled up my shields to keep her from mentally harassing me about what just happened.

"Sookie. I'm glad to see you're alright," I didn't see Alcide standing off to the side until it was too late. So that was the other thought pattern I heard. He took in my appearance in an almost indifferent manner, gave me a nod and turned his head.

"_Damn she is still very beautiful." _As much as I tried to strengthen my mental shields, somehow, I figured that holding Hunter's hand brought in Alcide's thoughts just as loud and clear as if he was in HiDef stereo. Lord have mercy. This is going to be a long night.

I hurriedly introduced Hunter to Amelia and asked her to fix something to eat for Hunter while I ran into my room to put on some decent clothing. I was going to have to consult Amelia on this new development in my disability brought on by Hunter's presence.

In my absence, Bill, Calvin and Tray arrived. I made sure everyone was provided with refreshments of their choice, thanks to Amelia's help, and then took the proverbial bull by the horns by asking the obvious.

Being the pack leader of the Shreveport Long Tooth Pack, Alcide was the first to be contacted by Claudine regarding the dead were. The investigation into the mystery were did not yield any concrete answers, but instead, raised more questions.

According to Claudine the dead were had unusual markings like supernatural tattoos that shimmered in the dark. When she checked on him later she found that the markings were completely gone as if someone had erased them.

Calvin had done some investigation on his side and reported that one of his cousins remembered seeing a large dark animal from a distance, during the last full moon with markings very similar to the were in question.

Eric was deep in thought during this exchange. Bill seemed to be doing some thinking of his own as if he was trying to remember something. I had a feeling they both knew more about this but since they didn't offer I didn't ask. I knew that it was only a matter of time till they presented me with their findings. If I know Eric he would have Bill research everything he could online, not to mention calling upon his network of contacts until they found the answer to the mysterious were.

The sweet aroma of Amelia's coffee woke me up the next morning. Thankful to have a roommate like her with more than coffee in common, I'm lucky to have her as a friend too.

My right eye was a little discolored and the swelling had gone down since Amelia was kind enough to make me a cold compress during our discussion last night. I was still seething at how the men in my life conferred over our security detail round the clock, as if I wasn't there. They (meaning Eric, Alcide, Calvin, Bill and Tray) were worried that with the Were Revelation just around the corner, supes in general would be targeted. This new development with the unknown dead Were did not portray the two-natured in a positive way, especially if he intentionally targeted us on the road.

Eric wanted to stay and talk to me but I told him I was too tired. I was not in the mood to 'talk' to Eric. The fact that I had to sort through what I'd just learned about Hunter was motivation enough for me to say no to Eric. He wasn't happy, but left with the promise that we will have a discussion regarding our relationship, or lack thereof. Was I mentally pouting for being neglected? Ok, maybe. But this was not the time to get into it. I was genuinely afraid for Hunter's safety now.

_**I'm sorry for the delay in Chapter 3. I've been in a virtual coma from my allergy medications I couldn't even remember my own name. Too bad they don't have allergy meds with vamp blood properties. Hm-m-m? Something to think about.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews and the PMs. Someone had asked me if I was going to have Sookie adopt Hunter since I've hinted that conceiving from a vampire was impossible in my story. I can honestly say that I haven't thought about that as a possibility. I do recognize her maternal instincts to nurture and care for others and maybe our favorite telepath will eventually have her fondest desire of becoming a mother come true… maybe. I think the question then would be... "Who's the Baby Daddy?" ;-)**_

_**All characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I'm borrowing them on a temporary basis until I can find more friends to play with. I can only ask her to refrain from taking legal action against me, only because she'll have to stand in a long line of people trying to collect taxes, school loans (lots of school loans), car payments, mortgage... You know the list every hot blooded American has added on to as of late?**_

Having filled my cup with coffee I took a deep breath and blurted out, "Hey Amelia I have something to tell you about Hunter," as I sat down at the counter across from her.

Her cup poised halfway to her mouth and her eyebrows arched in anticipation, she waited. "He's telepathic…" Amelia maintained her frozen position and I didn't have to be telepathic to read what she was waiting for, seeing her head tilt as if she was waiting for more.

"…and he could… he could read two-natured thoughts much easier than I can." I decided at the very last minute to keep from telling her that I could easily see and read vampire thoughts only because I was afraid for her safety.

She didn't have to say anything, being the loud broadcaster she is I heard her awe and amazement at having two such talented people in one family. I couldn't help but smile at how she referred to my little problem as a gift while I looked at it as a curse.

"I want to start training Hunter and I want you to help me," I quickly added.

Two days later I was getting ready to go to work. This time I'm working the night shift. I was a bit nervous leaving Hunter home alone with Amelia at night time. Our training sessions have been going well. We've taught him to focus on his favorite toys to raise his mental shields and keep them in place. Amelia was the perfect training tool for Hunter, being the loud thinker she is.

It was obvious that our telepathic powers were magnified several times over when we were in physical contact with one another. This is how Barry and I were able to locate survivors during the Pyramid of Geza disaster at the Vampire Summit some years ago. Somehow with Hunter, our telepathy was even more potent. During one of our sessions while holding hands with Hunter, I thought I could read the birds' thoughts perched on the ledge just outside the window.

Yesterday the social worker from Child Protective Services came over to meet me. As temporary foster parent I was required to show that I could provide Hunter with a safe temporary home. It was obvious the social worker was a supe of some type. It was agreed that once Remy's hearing was settled the judge would be able to issue a court order so Remy and Hunter could have supervised visits. As he was preparing to leave, Hunter looked up from his toy trucks and asked, "Why would you want to do that with Aunt Sookie's boobies?"

Then he turned to me, "Aunt Sookie? What are boobies?"

Amelia almost choked on her tea. Coughing and sputtering Amelia attempted to divert Hunter's attention back to his toy trucks, as she gently told him under her breath, "Hunter darling, you can't say that."

After the flushed and very embarrassed social worker left, we dissolved into hysterical laughter.

Merlotte's was filled to capacity from the Thursday night crowd watching the NBA finals between the Lakers and Magics. I know that this is small town Bon Temps and probably no one cared who really won the playoffs, but from the look of things, the finals provided the perfect excuse for most to come out and watch the game on two big HDtv plasma screens Sam decided to purchase a month ago.

Sam has been worried about the Were Revelation negatively impacting the bar, so he decided to spiff things up a bit, first with another new pool table two months prior and then the big screens.

Sam fired Arlene about four months back. She was becoming more and more of a nightmare whenever we worked a shift together. We exchanged angry insults one night during our shift. The next night she brought in her (then) man of the week to Merlotte's. He came to the bar with the clear intention of harassing me during my shift as he took a seat in my section. He pinched my rear; I took out two of his front teeth and broke his nose with his empty pitcher of beer. Sam finally had enough of Arlene's negativity. That was perhaps the smartest thing he did especially with the imminent Were Revelation. One can only imagine what Arlene's reaction would be when that happened.

To say we were swamped was the understatement of the night. Sam called in Holly and she was able to talk her friend Naechelle into lending a hand. Tray was helping Terry Bellfleur at the bar keeping Sam free to help out at the tables. Tray was planning on going to see Amelia once the game ended, so things were manageable for us at the moment.

I couldn't believe the lengths some of the patrons have gone through to place bets on the winning team. This made for the deafening sounds of cheering and booing during the game as it was the high stakes championship finals.

Half time was a beast with the patrons trying to get in whatever food Merlotte's offered and ordering refills before third quarter started up. My arms were aching from carrying so much beer. My legs felt like jell-o by the time fourth quarter rolled round. As if that wasn't bad enough, Arlene and the FOTS posse rolled up like the Holier-Than-Thou gang from hell to complete my misery. I caught Sam looking at me from Holly's section and he gave me a reassuring wink as if to say, he was aware and on the alert for trouble. The 'FoTTerS' as Amelia called them, sat in Naechelle's section. They gave me dirty looks and directed terrible images at me. I drew on my shields so hard I felt like I was going to pass out from the mental strain.

Nothing escaped Sam. He was at my elbow gently guiding me through the clamoring, drunken crowd towards his office.

"Cher. You need a break."

"I'm fine Sam. Really, I am." I protested.

"No. Sookie, I'm telling you as your boss, that it is time for your break. No arguments."

Sam left after making doubly sure I was not going to follow him out back on to the floor. I hated being treated like a willful child, but truth be told, I was never so happy to get away and rest my sore legs not to mention my very sore and fatigued cerebral muscles. I reeked of greasy fries and spilt beer. The loud cheering punctuated by hoots and hollers have reached a feverish pace by this time, it must be a close game with a few more minutes left, I surmised. I found myself longing for a breath of fresh air.

The chilled air of the North Louisiana night was just the jolt I needed to revitalize my waning mental resolve. I shivered in the forty two degree air, but was not prepared to leave my short-lived moment of tranquility just yet. Outside with the door closed behind me the noise was much more subdued and I was blissfully alone in the peace and quiet of the outdoors. Gazing up at the clear night sky I looked for the Big Dipper.

An unusually loud burst of cheers startled me as if someone had opened the door; I turned towards the door just in time to see big hairy knuckles clenched into a fist up close, way too close and too personal for my liking. It connected with my nose with a sickening crunch and I could have sworn I saw the Big Dipper flash right in front of me.

Too stunned to scream, and too pained to think, I looked up, from where I was now lying on my back, to see Arlene and her friends standing over me in a circle. Four of the men, including Mr. Hairy Knuckles, were leering at me; I was trying not to throw up from what I could read in their heads. The three women wore identical looks to Arlene's disgust and glee at my current situation.

"Where's your dead lover now, bitch?" Despite the loud ringing in my ears, I couldn't mistake the venom in Arlene's voice.

_**A/N Man, I really don't like that Arlene. She's like a cockroach. One can never get rid of her. I've gotta come up with a really good way to rid our Sookie of the pesky Arlene problem. Ok people (staggering to back to bed) I have to take my allergy meds again. Don't fret; I won't leave you hanging for long.**_


	4. Can't We All Just Get Along?

**_All Characters belong to Charlain Harris. I find them more amusing than working. Dude! I need a reality check :-) Still looking for a good way to rid that biatch Arlene. _**

**_BTW thanks for the reviews and PMs you guys are too funny. I'll consider the Supe Sperm Bank in another story **shuddering in horror** You're a sick puppy. You know who you are. LOL. Thanks for waiting. Here's the next chapter. I know huh? Early. Don't get too used to it._**

Chapter Four

I found myself thinking that I was getting a bit too tired of getting attacked by people who didn't even know me at all. Sadly enough these were bigoted, intolerant human beings who hid behind the word 'Christian' just to disguise their fear of the unknown. They gave real God-fearing Christians a bad name.

All of this was reminiscent of another beating I received from the Rattrays (more humans) for defending a vampire.

In no uncertain terms, Arlene informed me, in between kicks to my ribs and head, that if I wanted to hang out with dead disgusting creatures, then it was her calling to grant me my wish because I was a poor excuse for a human being.

Mr. Hairy Knuckles was thinking that a vampire should be in the vicinity to rescue me by now. Oh my god. It was a trap. They were out to kill vampires, any vampire for that matter. They somehow figured out that where ever I went there was sure to be a vampire lurking about.

A blood curdling scream brought a temporary halt to my violent battering. I looked up to see what my attackers were staring at; Eric, fangs out, eyes ablaze with the impending fight, was standing on top of the hood of Sam's truck, holding the severed head of one of my attackers in one hand and a very impressive looking sword in the other, dripping with blood.

In the ensuing silence, I tried to call out to Eric to tell him it was a trap. The blood pooling at the back of my throat and the severe stabbing in my ribs kept me from verbalizing any warning. I could only try to send him feelings of my fear through our bond. Eric's anger was so great it fairly crackled through the bond like a jolt of electricity. If I wasn't already on the ground, it would have knocked me down from the sheer force.

In a low menacing tone, as he looked each of my attackers in the eye, "I believe you are looking for me?" His accent a bit more pronounced as he enunciated each word slowly.

When he was sure they had his attention, in dramatic fashion, he tossed the decapitated head at Arlene who began screaming like a banshee. If I wasn't hurting so much from my injuries I would have laughed at the comical sight of Arlene's bright red hair bobbing up and down as she hopped around the decapitated head.

Mr. Hairy Knuckles then yelled out, 'now.'

They all dropped to the ground and covered their heads. Hairy Knuckles even grabbed the screeching Arlene and pushed her to the ground non-too gently. There was a pregnant pause, and then the air suddenly filled with sharp whizzing sounds.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the brain patterns around me. I counted over twenty human brains altogether, plus two vampires. They came prepared for this attack. I heard someone thinking that the silver-tipped darts were just enough to incapacitate any vampire until they could subdue him with the silver nets they have. They wanted him alive for now.

No! No! No!

I felt the sting of the darts as some landed on my legs and arms. I tried to roll to my good side but quickly found out I don't have one since Arlene and her friends broke a couple of my ribs. I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out in pain and tried to shield my face from the raining darts.

"Sookie!"

I peered out from underneath my arms to see Bill. Ah yes, the second vampire. Hairy Knuckles lay mangled and bloodied at Bill's side. It looked like Bill killed him after he landed the silver net on him. Despite the silver net burning his skin, Bill was trying to crawl over to me.

I tried to reassure him, "Bill. Don't move you're going to do yourself more harm by moving. Please don't move. I'm ok."

I felt rather than heard the moment someone threw the second silver net over Eric. He bellowed a loud terrible roar. His rage, frustration and blood lust so evident in the sound that it felt like a sonic boom, I felt it reverberate through the ground underneath me.

The acrid smell of burning flesh mixed with blood and death was beginning to churn my stomach. I closed my eyes and concentrated on calling out to Claudine, Niall, Hunter, someone who can hear me and help.

I sensed a brain pattern above me. I opened my eyes to find a pair of eyes closely staring at me. I could only describe them as the color of liquid amber with tiny flecks of blue green around the pupils. They were glowing softly in an obvious preternatural way. The remarkable eyes were framed by very long dark eyelashes, almost too ridiculous to belong to a man. His straight nose sat just above a set of sensually full lips, once again, out of place on a man's face. The whole effect plus a very well-defined jaw coupled with a smooth brown complexion and very straight white teeth was enough to make my cousin Claude, either green with envy or, lick his lips with glee.

"You!" I gasped, more in awe than confusion.

I didn't get to finish my sentence as I heard the enemy stealthily stalking towards us. Mr. Amber Eyes sensed what was about to happen, and reached into his shirt and pulled out something which shimmered in his closed fist. Without a word he quickly unbuttoned the first two top buttons of my Merlotte's shirt. Before I could protest, I felt his fist against my skin. He slowly opened his large hand to flatten his palm against my exposed upper chest. My skin felt warm at first and then it tingled like my nerve endings were just waking up. The sensation spread throughout my body and the aches and pains from my injuries ceased immediately.

A loud angry growl from behind Mr. Amber Eyes startled us. Eric somehow escaped the silver net but not without consequences; face burnt, eyes narrowed to ice blue slits, he held his sword poised high above his head. With hypnotic quickness, he wielded the sword in an arc and brought it down upon Mr. Amber Eyes.

Mr. Amber Eyes was just as quick as he lithely flipped onto his haunches. I noticed a thick mane of dark curly hair down the middle of his back as he reached up and caught Eric's sword by the blade between the palms of his hands. The blade began to vibrate from the point where he held it. The vibrations grew until it hummed loudly and Eric had to let go of the sword. The sword exploded into powder-like dust.

Still without a word, Mr. Amber Eyes quickly maneuvered around a very surprised Viking and pulled himself into a crouch facing away from Eric. The move stopped Eric in his tracks as he was about to retaliate. It was at this point I noticed Mr. Amber Eyes was wearing a chef's uniform.

Chef Amber reached into his shirt, pulled out something shimmery and threw it like one would a boomerang. A long curved object that can only be described as an ornately bejeweled, carved weapon flew out of his hands and rounded onto the approaching figures of the enemy. It sliced through flesh and bone as if it were hot knife through butter. He flexed his fingers in his still outstretched hand and the weapon, still spinning, hovered for a second then slowly returned to his hand; in fact it looked like it was absorbed into his fingers. His arm glowed brightly through the sleeve of his chef's uniform momentarily, and then it was gone.

Eric, still in attack mode, had moved to stand over me, snarled menacingly at Chef Amber who was now facing us in a very calm manner as if he was bird watching.

"Eric. I don't think he means us harm." I tried to calm him.

I addressed Chef Amber, "thank you for your help."

Neither one budged. Great! Even males of the supernatural persuasion were susceptible to posturing and pissing contests. Why do I bother.

I was faintly aware of the sounds of a few skirmishes between our remaining attackers and Sam, Terry and Tray who heard Eric's battle cry and came rushing out the back door to join the fight.

Gingerly, I moved my arms to see if I can do so without too much pain. To my surprise I was a bit sore but not the excruciating extent caused by broken bones. I sat up and surveyed my surroundings. Terry had helped Bill out of the silver net. Bill suffered burns but they were healing pretty quickly. Sam was giving him bottles of True Blood to hasten the healing process.

The rest of our attackers seeing they couldn't subdue a very pissed off Viking and the way Chef Amber killed four of their people in one fell swoop, took off in their vehicles parked down the main highway. I couldn't see Arlene anywhere, not that I cared at the moment, but I was curious what happened to my ex best friend who just tried to kill me.

"Grand-daughter. Are you alright my child?" Niall reached down to help me to my feet.

"Y-yes. I think I am." I stammered, still in shock at what just happened.

"Eric and Bill arrived in time to save me from Arlene and her friends." I explained shakily.

"…and he," indicating Chef Amber still in a stare-down with Eric, "he also helped Bill and Eric fight them off."

Upon noticing Niall's stare, Chef Amber inclined his head in a flourished bow.

There was an initial perplexed look on Niall's face, then recognition. He in turn inclined his head in a bow towards the stranger.

"Your Highness," Niall addressed the stranger, "I did not expect to see you here, of all places."

**_A/N Oh ho ho ho! And who might you be? Hmmm? I wanted to reward you with this before another episode of True Blood this Sunday. Hey, this couldn't be any weirder than the show, right? Jury's still out with regards to season two of TB. _**


	5. All Shook Up

_**Sorry for the late chapter. I lost the whole thing 5 days ago and had to write it from memory. I still couldn't seem to get it right. This is the crucial chapter as it sets the tone of the rest of the story. **_

_**SVM (Sookie Series) characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I'm just a broke ass dreamer who is playing make believe in her backyard till she kicks me out.**_

_**As a little girl my bedtime stories ranged from legends, to folklore, Greek Mythology to Polynesian Mythology. All thanks to my big sister who was Ms. Anthropology major. Later on in the years she joked about having me weave them all together in a fiction. I think I've managed to do a little weaving-more like hammering- in this chapter… **_

_Upon noticing Niall's stare, Chef Amber inclined his head in a flourished bow._

_There was an initial perplexed look on Niall's face, then recognition. He in turn inclined his head in a bow towards the stranger._

"_Your Highness," Niall addressed the stranger, "I did not expect to see you here, of all places."_

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"I had not planned to be here 'of all places', as you put it, Niall. But circumstances out of my control brought me here. Perhaps we can find a more suitable place where I can tell you all about it." There was an underlying tone of urgency belying the calm demeanor he portrayed.

Niall turned to find several pair of eyes looking back at him with questioning looks. This included yours truly, Sam, Tray and Terry. Somehow I had the feeling the vampires knew who he was.

Niall turned to me, "Sookie if you could just make sure there are no more attackers in the area, or other strangers aside from His Majesty," indicating Chef Amber.

After scanning the area and making sure there were no more strangers, or attacking FOTS members, I gave the 'all clear' to Niall.

Without further ado, Niall's voice took on an air of significance, his posture ramrod straight, his head held in a regal manner as he announced, "Your Highness, may I present my great grand-daughter Sookie Stackhouse."

Chef Amber actually bowed gracefully from the waist without a hint of arrogance or amusement that he had with my grandfather earlier.

I could only stare wide-eyed, almost dumbfounded by this turn of events, not trusting myself to speak.

Niall continued the introductions indicating to his left, "This is Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five, and his investigator Bill Compton."

"This is…"

"…I know who he is," Eric growled angrily, interrupting Niall's introduction, still staring daggers at the chef. Derision evident in the following question, "You wouldn't happen to be missing a member of your royal retinue, would you Your Highness?" referring to the dead supe at the scene of our accident days before.

"No, Sheriff. I can't say I am missing anyone in particular," was the calm but amused answer. What is this guy on, Xanax? A big, scary and very pissed off vampire just tried to create two of him with his sword and he's standing there answering questions, cool as a cucumber. But then again, he was just as big and tall as Eric. They were almost the opposite of each other, one light, one dark; one grumpy and being an ass while the other acted like he was watching paint dry with the enthusiasm of a rock.

Eric's voice dripped with sarcasm as he continued, "Prince Niall forgot to mention that his great grand-daughter Sookie is my bonded," emphasizing the last two words.

"You would do well to remember that before you think of touching her…ever again, in any way, shape or fashion, intimate or otherwise. " Eric snarled in a display of fangs.

Ughh! He couldn't have been more possessive than if he was announcing that I was a favorite piece of jewelry (more like a piece of ass, but I digress). I shifted impatiently, as I felt my anger begin to rise at being made to sound like nothing but personal property to be acquired and owned.

I chanced a look at Bill. Looking like a damned immobile Sphinx, his face gave away nothing as he contemplated the stranger. Bill, like Eric and Niall, knew who he was.

Irritated, I finally asked, "I didn't catch your name. So could you please tell me who you are?"

"Sookie, this is Prince Keahi from the Royal House of King Kamehameha." Bill deadpanned (hearty, har, har) devoid of emotion.

Prince Keahi smiled indulgently at Bill, showing his perfectly straight white teeth and dimples, "It's good to see you again Mr. Compton," acknowledging him with a nod.

Then training his liquid amber gaze on me, "Please, call me Keahi," he said in a surprisingly soft, deep voice. "It is quite an honor to meet the famous Sookie Stackhouse."

"Please call me Sookie. Don't believe all the hoopla." I returned with an awkward nod of my head.

Sam was probably the most confused of all. I don't know if it was because he was bleeding from the side of his head or the thought of having to deal with a massive cleanup of body parts afterwards, but he was clearly unhappy. That was putting it mildly.

"So let me get this straight? My new cook is a prince?" He spoke to no one in particular, shaking his head in disbelief. "Will somebody please tell me what, the fuck, is going on here?"

"…and how the hell," giving me an exasperated look, "…did you end up out here getting beat up by," pointing at the human remains, "these… these… thugs?"

"That was the very question I was going to ask you, shifter" Eric spat out the word like a bad taste in his mouth, as he directed his basilisk (yesterday's word of the day) glare at Sam. Even Terry and Tray stirred to avoid being in the direct path of Eric's wilting look.

I attempted to affect an upbeat tone in hopes of diffusing the awkward situation, "Okaaay! I need to get out of these bloody clothes, so I'm going to call it a night."

Niall quickly asked if they can use my house as an impromptu meeting place for the time being. He felt that what Prince Keahi wanted to say was of the utmost urgency and probably could not wait another day. I relented, of course, but in secret I was lamenting the fact that I was caught up, yet again, in something that was beyond my control or knowledge. I am so done with supes and their shit.

Not to be deterred or left out of the loop, Eric insisted he come along to make sure his 'bonded' was okay. Prince Keahi made it clear that what he had to say involved Eric and would be very grateful to have him present so he didn't have to repeat it all over again.

I was sore, I was tired, I just got my ass kicked and I was quickly becoming tired of Eric's possessiveness. I was ready to take my frustrations out on him when I looked up into his face, and in that instant, I was reminded of another time when things were simple and uncomplicated between us. Yes he was still angry but, there was also concern, and something else I've only seen in the amnesiac Eric. I glimpsed a fleeting look of tenderness. My heart did a flip as I searched his face, hopeful for more. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Disappointment and fatigue won out and I stomped away to get my car keys before I broke down into tears. I kept telling myself I was a Stackhouse. I've gone through worse. Maybe I just imagined it was possible that the Eric I longed for was there tonight.

I arrived home to find Amelia waiting for me. Tray had called to tell her he was going to be late as they were cleaning up the mess from the attack, while Bill and Eric worked on glamouring the bar patrons who saw the bloody mess outside.

Hunter was already asleep when the attack took place. Thank god I didn't wake him with my desperate call for help. It would have only frightened the poor thing to know his aunt was being beaten to a pulp with only a four year old to call for help.

An hour later, I felt much better after a hot shower and dressed in my comfortable dark blue lounging pants and matching shirt. Amelia had a steaming mug of hot herbal tea mixed in with the remaining herbs of what Claudine had given us for our injuries from the car accident. I have never collected more bruises in a matter of days than I have lately. There were traces of the bruises from the car accident, the healing bruise on my right eye when I head butted Eric, some bruises to my ribs and my jaw from tonight, but whatever Prince Keahi did, totally healed any broken bones I suffered from the attack.

At Niall's request, I called Calvin and Alcide to join us. They arrived at the same time as Niall, Eric, Bill, Tray and Prince Keahi. Something serious was afoot if the leaders of each local supe group were being asked to attend.

By this time, Amelia was fully updated and apprised of the situation and Niall felt her presence was just as necessary. She could barely contain her excitement and curiosity about the newcomer who was now wearing dark jeans and an olive green long sleeved Henley (like Bill's) that was complimentary to his coloring. But unlike Bill, the shirt fitted like a second skin on Prince Keahi emphasizing his well-defined upper body. His long hair was in a thick pony tail down to his lower back. His jeans looked like they were custom made for him by the way they hugged his hips and accentuated his assets. Whew! Is it hot in here? It reminded me of another set of assets that plagued my waking hours as well as my dreams.

During the introductions, I had to pointedly glare at Amelia several times to control her very loud and x-rated thoughts from distracting me. Thank goodness Hunter was asleep or I'd have a heck of a time trying to distract the poor child from Amelia's thoughts.

Speaking of assets, Eric made a show of claiming the spot next to me on the couch, sitting as close to me as I would allow him. I felt like a fire hydrant because all he had to do now was lift his leg and pee on my leg to warn off any amorous suitors. I was still feeling the sting of our exchange, or rather my onesided exchange, at the bar parking lot and I tried my best to draw upon that to keep me focused. That was all good in theory but didn't help a damn because our close proximity made it even harder to concentrate on my childish grudge as I acutely felt a rush of desire and yearning quickly saturate the bond. I struggled to keep from succumbing to the flood of emotion I didn't want to face so soon after I almost broke down at Merlotte's. My face flushed when he fixed his blue gaze on me with a look that made my insides turn to instant mush. Why does he have to be so friggin handsome?

Amidst the exchanged pleasantries going on around us, I relented and quietly said, "Eric. Thank you for coming to my rescue tonight." Stuttering, "I-I'm sorry for…"

Sensing my uneasiness, Eric gently interrupted, "Lover. You will never know how much I…"

"Hello everyone!" The moment was broken when Claudine materialized in the kitchen in a flurry of scented Jasmine and glitter.

Claudine was dressed like a flapper girl in a beautiful red sequined mini dress that sparkled with the slightest movement of her body and showed off her long beautiful legs. It was a bit difficult to determine which was louder, her dress or the rather overpowering array of glittery flowers (okay, a garden of flowers) in her hair.

Note to self; ask Claudine if she's going through some type of 'fairy-mid-life-crisis' phase.

Ever the jovial fairy, Claudine absentmindedly waved cheerfully to all of us spreading more glitter and her scent towards us in the living room.

I heard a sharp intake of air near my ear as Eric caught a whiff of Claudine's scent. Bill, the Sphinx of Bon Temps (nasal flaring, eyes glazed over) had a look of pure unadulterated hunger. I have been the recipient of said look at one time or another, but for a different reason, of course. If he were human, it would have made me blush, but given the fact that he was a vampire and he was looking at Claudine the Fairy in that manner only spelled trouble. Both vampires followed every movement of Claudine's hand like two dogs watching a piece of bacon waving in front of their noses. Fairy candy, just waiting to be gobbled up. In Lafayette terms; Fairy 'Scooby Snacks.' The look on Bill's face was enough to spur Niall into action to mask Claudine's scent.

When everyone was settled (emphasis on the word 'settled') without one party trying to drain the other, Niall then asked Prince Keahi to begin.

Prince Keahi is a part of a coalition of guardians throughout the Polynesian island chain. They are known collectively as Maohi Te Fenua, loosely translated, Children of Polynesia or Children of the land. He represents the royal house of King Kamehameha of Hawaii.

"What are you supposed to be guarding?" Alcide asked with interest.

"Polynesian legend tells of Princess Nafanua, whose people were enslaved long after she passed. After a long drawn out war and failed rebellions, the princess' descendant Chief Tai'i knelt at the edge of the her crypt and let out a deep sorrowful sigh as he agonized over his decision to surrender in order to save the remaining people of the islands. It is said that Chief Tai'i's pained sigh was heard throughout Polynesia. The supreme god Tagaloa was swayed by his predicament and brought Princess Nafanua back to life. Tagaloa gave her four clubs to wage war against their oppressors. She was victorious in defeating the enemy with the aforementioned war clubs. She is popularly known as the Warrior Queen Nafanua. Some even worship her as Warrior Goddess Nafanua."

Here, Keahi took a deep breath and continued in his soft spoken, slightly accented English.

"I am one of the guardians of Queen Nafanua's War Clubs. When the supreme god Tagaloa gifted her with the clubs he was very clear in the terms of their use. Each club is different and unique in design and purpose. Later on, after the war, all four clubs were dispersed throughout the royal houses of Maohi or Polynesian islands for safe keeping. Their power is never to be abused or taken for granted. They can only physically be in one place for very special occasions and then they have to be separated. All four clubs together contains so much 'mana' or power, that it can destroy with the devastation of hurricanes."

I noticed Bill out of the corner of my eye as he wrestled with something in his memory.

"You are talking about the club that was presented to Queen Sophie when the Maohi Coalition visited New Orleans?" Bill asked slowly, like he was processing and filtering his thoughts as he voiced them. The light bulb, I could see, finally clicked in his head.

"Yes and no." Keahi explained. "That club was supposed to have been an exact replica of the club Queen Nafanua chose as her main weapon in the war. It's known to us Guardians as the First Club or nicknamed C1 despite its given name."

"That is the main reason why I'm here. The real one is missing and has been missing for some time now. Its guardians didn't tell us it was missing…"

"What do you mean 'its guardians'?" I interrupted.

Keahi continued, "I am guardian to the Second Club or C2 as is my sole duty."

"If you're not the guardian of the First Club, then who is in charge of it and what are you doing looking for it?" Claudine asked with a spray of glitter and flower petals as her head moved. This chick had better sweep up all her glitter and flower petals before she leaves tonight.

Patiently, Keahi explained, "All four brings all of us together regardless of what island we're from, which club we are responsible for or whom we are descended from. The clubs… all the clubs," he emphasized, "have to be kept in their respective places or there will be repercussions."

"Queen Nafanua's direct descendants were chosen as guardians of the First Club or C1. The rest of the Guardians of Maohi were unaware of the missing club until certain natural disasters occurred throughout the Polynesian island chain. Some of us began to suspect that something was amiss. After much questioning and investigating, we found out that all but one of the clubs was unaccounted for. Regardless of who's responsible for guarding C1, it directly impacts all of us as Maohi Te Fenua. Time is running out for some of the smaller islands."

"What does that mean?" Tray asked equally as fascinated as the rest of us.

"As long as we keep them guarded and revered collectively we grow and flourish."

"They are never to be used or abused for personal gain and greed. It has been proven that the 'mana' of the clubs have been unleashed upon the islands of Polynesia from some form of abuse that we still do not know of. The islands closer to the domain of C1 are sinking into the ocean. Some have completely disappeared."

"The rest of the Guardians have spread out following leads to other foreign lands in search of C1. If we cannot locate it and retrieve it in time, soon, the rest of the Polynesian islands, including the Hawaiian Islands will, unfortunately, meet the same fate."

"I take it, you don't believe in Global Warming then?" Amelia said in a slightly amused tone.

Looking directly into Amelia's eyes, Keahi spoke in a matter-of-fact voice, "We have reason to believe that the clubs have hastened the effects of Global Warming with alarming speed… And, yes. I-we believe in Global Warming just as we have always believed in vampires, witches, fairies, were-people and other supernatural beings."

"Touché," Amelia mumbled sheepishly.

"So what led you to suspect C1 is here in Bon Temps?" I asked.

Keahi went on to explain that when he was doing some research online, he came across some news of strange sightings in the state of Louisiana, of a large, dark animal resembling a big black bear with bright glowing eyes. He knew who it was, as well as to which royal retinue he belonged to. He overheard Claudine's conversation with Alcide at a restaurant, regarding the strange supe and its markings. He followed the lead here to Merlotte's and applied for the available position of chef, about five days ago. No wonder I didn't meet him.

Keahi's voice had a soft deep melodious sound to it as he spoke. Despite his exciting and intriguing story, I found my eyelids begin to droop. My super adrenaline rush has finally dissipated and I was ready to lie down and sleep for a month. I felt Eric's thigh purposefully brush up against mine. I felt his left arm resting on the couch behind my head. Wait, wasn't there a gap between us when he first sat down? Why this naughty Viking doesn't miss a trick does he? I didn't like him pushing feelings of desire and lust at me; I was too tired to play his games. But after we were cut off by Claudine's arrival he sensed my irritation and backed off. He then tried to send calming and soothing feelings towards me. I resisted at first, trying to maintain some semblance of my wounded pride at having revealed too much of my feelings to him even if I didn't say it, he knew it by reading my body language and through the damned bond. My struggle faded as fatigue seeped into my bones. My weary and battered body began to relax.

Through my half-closed lids, I lazily scanned the occupants of the room. Deeply engrossed in Keahi's story, even Amelia's thoughts have calmed down, thankfully. I let my mental shields down.

Still listening to the questions being asked of Keahi, I finally closed my tired eyes. But it felt like someone had gradually turned up a television set with just white noise in the background. This was the same pattern as Keahi's and the brain pattern I read from the scene of the accident. The sound became so loud it drowned out every other noise in the room. There are people outside the house. My eyes popped open in alarm as I jumped up from the couch. Almost simultaneously, I heard the two vampires in the room hiss a warning. I looked around to find that everyone in the room had gone quiet and were looking at a bright ball of blue, green and purple colored flames, no bigger than the size of a baseball, floating in midair from the direction of the main doorway.

Slowly, it floated straight towards me. Eric jumped in front of me in a protective move, fangs out, as he hissed at the flame. Bill was crouched in attack mode while the weres readied themselves to transform. Even Niall and Claudine had taken on battle stances. The flame came about a foot away from Eric and it weaved back and forth from side to side as if trying to get around Eric to get to me. As I stared at the flame, I felt the same sensation when Keahi put his hand on my chest. It spread throughout my body towards my fingers and toes. I shook my out my hands to get rid of the tingling sensation like pins and needles in my fingers.

Keahi, who remained seated the whole time, maintained a look of peace and calm about him (I want whatever meds he's taking), held up his hand in a halting motion. The floating flame now resembling a butterfly complete with the graceful flutter of flaming wings stopped its progression and hovered in midair like it was awaiting further instructions. The sensation in my fingers and toes quickly went away. With a quick wave of his hand the flame shot through the air right into his open palm where, like his weapon, it was quickly absorbed into his hand. His fingers glowed brightly in the colors of the flame for about a second before it returned to normal.

Eric's face held murderous rage, "You don't listen too well do you? I warned you to keep your hands off my bonded and you pull this trick? " Eric ground out in a dangerously low voice.

Keahi slowly stood up in a non threatening manner, unfolding his long legs, causing me to tilt my head up to see him, his eyes held mine while in an even tone, "Miss Stackhouse, I humbly apologize if my messenger frightened you. I don't have much but my word," he continued in earnest, "I assure you I will never purposely bring harm upon you or your loved ones that is a promise."

"Please, you don't have to apologize. I-it's been a very strange evening, I'll have to admit, but your messenger didn't scare me," I quickly added, "I just find it… captivating, that your messenger is a flaming butterfly…er, I mean firefly- butter flying fire…"

What-in-the-hell-was-I-saying? Please someone save me from embarrassing myself. I'm more fatigued than I originally thought.

"He's got the point Sookie!" Eric interjected in a flat voice.

"Sheriff. My only request of you, as well as the other leaders in the supernatural community here," Keahi turned to include Calvin, Alcide and Niall, "is to allow me and my people to search your area for C1 without the fear of being harassed. You don't have to provide security for I have brought my own."

"In light of what you have just told us, it sounds as if your precious club is not here in Northern Louisiana. I suggest you move on." Eric growled.

Calvin who has been quiet for the duration of Keahi's story spoke up for the first time, "Now wait Eric, what if he is telling the truth and the club is here in Louisiana?"

"What if it isn't?" countered Eric in the same tone.

"What's to stop me from prohibiting you to search area five?" Eric was once again locked in a stare down with Keahi. Oh great! All I want is to get this over and done with and here we are, all over again, in a 'mine-is-bigger-than-yours' contest. Hmmm? I wonder whose is bi… All right! Mind out of the gutter Stackhouse!

"You're right Sheriff." Keahi stated calmly, "I don't know if C1 is here, but I followed whatever clues I found and it led me here. It is not your problem, I'm painfully aware of that too. I'm staying in Shreveport for a couple more days in the hopes that C1 will make itself known to us. We will conduct no further investigation in the hopes that all the supernatural leaders are of one collective mind to agree to our search. Until then, I await your answer. Once again," turning and addressing the rest of us, "I thank you for sparing your precious time to hear me out and I do apologize if I have offended anyone."

Turning to me, "Miss Stackhouse, thank you for your hospitality. It truly is an honor to have met you. I will take my leave now."

Keahi bowed low before Niall, "Mahalo nui loa Ali'i," he said respectfully. (_Thank you Your Highness_) Before opening the door, he turned and slowly raised his hands in the air. In a beautiful bass he began to chant in his native tongue. Someone gasped. I turned to see Amelia as she stood transfixed by the sound of Keahi's voice, her eyes as big as saucers never left his face. No doubt she understood what he was doing. And from the looks of both Amelia and Niall's faces it was a good thing.

"Ho'omaika'i o hale, ho'omaika'i hoaaloha. Hanu mai o kou aloha i loko o keia hale." After repeating this twice, he smiled at us and left.

An unusual peaceful silence appeared to blanket the house and everyone in it. Everyone was still staring at the spot Keahi occupied not a mere seconds, or was it minutes before? No one seemed to want to break the peaceful silence.

Then, I noticed Bill cock his head like he was straining to listen to something. He and Eric exchanged looks. I noticed Calvin and Alcide seemed to catch on as they looked alert and ready for something to happen. Tray was quickly saying something to Amelia, but before I could listen in on Amelia's thoughts Eric grabbed me by the waist and in a vampire second he had me up against the frame of my bedroom door, his whole body pressed up against mine as he held me in a way like I used to cuddle my Barbie dolls.

For a split second I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling of being cherished. I missed being held like this. But I still could not go against my nature so I opened my mouth to protest when I felt a low rumbling beneath my feet as the floor began to move. Oh Crap!

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_**A/N: Four years ago my sister was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer. She fought valiantly through the excruciating pain and the depression of having to rely on others to take care of her. Through it all she never stopped journaling. Her journals have been the source of some of my inspiration. She always said that writing was the best way to forget her pain. A year ago, this month, she lost her battle with cancer. She is the reason I decided to write this FF. Every day has been a painful struggle to live life without her. **_

_**This is dedicated to the memory of my beloved big sister Hevani -"Celestial Heaven" **_

_**Mahalo nui loa for being the best big sister a little girl could ever wish for!**_


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